Automated monitoring and control of food processing systems

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for automated monitoring and control of food processing systems are disclosed. Data from one or more controllers of a food processing system is received during operation of the food processing system at a remote food processing facility. Values of one or more operating parameters of the food processing system are monitored, based on the received data. At least one event of interest occurring during the operation of the food processing system is detected, based on the monitored values of the one or more operating parameters. Control signals for adjusting a configuration of the food processing system are transmitted to the one or more controllers, based on the detected event.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patentapplication Ser. No. 16/481,022, filed on Jul. 25, 2019 as a NationalStage Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2018/015042,filed on Jan. 24, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/452,214, filed on Jan. 30, 2017, each of whichis titled “Automated Monitoring and Control of Food Processing Systems,”and the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present description relates to food processing systems, and moreparticularly, to monitoring and controlling operational aspects of foodprocessing systems.

BACKGROUND

Industrial food processing operations typically involve an array ofinteractions between complex processes, equipment, regulations,products, logistics, information technology, personnel, andstakeholders. Conventional systems and methods for managing suchoperations generally require personnel to be physically present atprocessing facilities in order to monitor equipment and processes toensure proper functioning of the food processing systems located atthose facilities. For example, personnel may be assigned to a particulardivision of the food processing facility for purposes of managingoperations related to a particular food processing system within thefacility. Due to the caustic environments in which these systemstypically operate, the risk of equipment failure tends to be relativelyhigh. Therefore, it is imperative that system parameters arecontinuously monitored and analyzed to diagnose potential problems thatmay arise during system operation. Such problems can include, forexample, potential problems that may arise in a particular foodprocessing system as a result of the operational behavior of anothersystem.

However, the operational divide associated with conventional techniquescreates an informational gap that hinders the ability of interestedparties to obtain relevant cross-functional information for effectivelymonitoring and diagnosing potential operational issues. Furthermore,conventional techniques that rely primarily on personnel located at thefacility to address problems that may relate to any of the multitude ofcomplex system processes involved during a given operation may fail toquickly and efficiently identify and resolve these problems when theyoccur. This in turn may lead to reduced system performance and increasedoperational costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read with the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary network environment for practicingone or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary distributed computing systemincluding a control system for automated monitoring and control ofremote food processing systems, according to one or more embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the control systemof FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a dashboard view for an exemplarygraphical user interface (GUI) of a control system for automatedmonitoring and control of remote food processing systems.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view of the GUI of FIG. 4 for monitoringreal-time performance data of selected food processing systems at aremote food processing facility.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary visualization of performance metrics forvarious food processing systems at a remote food processing facility.

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary visualization of performancemetrics for various food processing systems at a remote food processingfacility.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary view of the GUI with an example of anevent log for monitoring events of interest during the operation of aselected food processing system.

FIG. 9 illustrates a list of predefined events that a user may select tomonitor during the operation of a selected food processing system.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method of automated monitoring andcontrol of remote food processing systems.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer systemin which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to automated monitoring andcontrol of remote food processing systems. While the present disclosureis described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments forparticular applications, it should be understood that embodiments arenot limited thereto. Other embodiments are possible, and modificationscan be made to the embodiments within the spirit and scope of theteachings herein and additional fields in which the embodiments would beof significant utility.

In the detailed description herein, references to “one or moreembodiments,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicatethat the embodiment described may include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarilyinclude the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover,such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic isdescribed in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it iswithin the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to implementsuch feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with otherembodiments whether or not explicitly described. It would also beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art that theembodiments, as described herein, can be implemented in many differentembodiments of software, hardware, firmware, and/or the entitiesillustrated in the figures. Any actual software code with thespecialized control of hardware to implement embodiments is not limitingof the detailed description. Thus, the operational behavior ofembodiments will be described with the understanding that modificationsand variations of the embodiments are possible, given the level ofdetail presented herein.

Various embodiments include systems, methods, and computer-readablemedia for automated monitoring and control of remote food processingsystems. As will be described in further detail below, embodiments ofthe present disclosure may be used to provide an automated controlcenter and interface for monitoring operational aspects of various foodprocessing systems of one or more remote food processing facilities. Inone example, the food processing facility may be a poultry processingfacility, and the plurality of food processing systems may include anevisceration system, a chiller system, an antimicrobial applicationsystem, an antimicrobial recycle system, and an antimicrobial capturesystem. However, it should be appreciated that embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not intended to be limited thereto.

Illustrative embodiments and related methodologies of the presentdisclosure are described below in reference to FIGS. 1-11 as they mightbe employed, for example, in a computer system for automated monitoringand control of remote food processing systems. Other features andadvantages of the disclosed embodiments will be or will become apparentto one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the followingfigures and detailed description. It is intended that all suchadditional features and advantages be included within the scope of thedisclosed embodiments. Further, the illustrated figures are onlyexemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation withregard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in whichdifferent embodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary network environment 100 forpracticing one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In theexample as shown in FIG. 1 , network environment 100 includes acomputing system 110, user devices 120 a, 120 b, and 120 c (collectivelyreferred to herein as “user devices 120 a-c”), and controllers 132 a,132 b, and 132 c (or “controllers 132 a-c,” collectively). Controllers132 a-c in this example are associated with food processing facilities130 a, 130 b, and 130 c (or “food processing facilities 130 a-c”),respectively. While only user devices 120 a-c and control devices 132a-b are shown in FIG. 1 , it should be appreciated that embodiments arenot intended to be limited thereto and that network environment 100 mayinclude any number of user devices and/or control devices, where thecontrol devices may be for any number of food processing facilities.

Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , computing system 110 is communicativelycoupled to each of user devices 120 a-c and controllers 132 a-c via anetwork 104. Computing system 110 in this example may be implementedusing any type of computing device having at least one processor, localmemory, display, input device (e.g., a mouse, QWERTY keyboard,touch-screen, microphone, or a T9 keyboard) and networking capabilitiesfor communicating via a network 104 with other computing devices,including user devices 120 a-c and controllers 132 a-c. Examples of sucha computing device include, but are not limited to, a server, a group ofservers in a server farm, a desktop computer, a workstation, a laptopcomputer, a tablet computer or other type of general-purpose orspecialized computing device.

Similarly, user devices 120 a-c may be any type of general-purpose orspecialized computing device. Examples of different computing devicesthat may be used to implement any of user devices 120 a-c include, butare not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheldcomputer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, anetwork appliance, a camera, a smart phone, an enhanced general packetradio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a media player, a navigation device,an email device, a game console, or a combination of any these dataprocessing devices or other data processing devices. For example, userdevice 120 a as shown in the example of FIG. 1 may be a tablet computer,a handheld computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA) while userdevice 120 b may be desktop or personal computer, and user device 120 cmay be a mobile handset, smartphone, cellular telephone, an enhancedgeneral packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a media player, anavigation device, a game console, a camera or any combination thereof.

Network 104 can be any network or combination of wired and/or wirelessnetworks that can carry data communication. Such network(s) may include,but are not limited to, one or more cellular networks, local areanetworks, medium area networks, and/or wide area networks, e.g., theInternet, or any combination thereof. Although not shown in FIG. 1 ,network 104 may include any of various routers, gateways, and othertypes of network devices for facilitating communications betweencomputing system 110, user devices 120 a-c, and controllers 132 a-c.Further, such devices may support any of various communication protocolsand standards as needed or desired for a particular implementation.

As will be described in further detail below, each of controllers 132a-c may be a component of a food processing system located at therespective food processing facilities 130 a-c. The particular foodprocessing system may be one of a plurality of food processing systemsat each of food processing facilities 130 a-c. In one or moreembodiments, each of controllers 132 a-c and the various food processingsystems at each facility may be communicatively coupled to one anothervia a private network, e.g., a corporate network or intranet, associatedwith the respective food processing facilities 130 a-c. The various foodprocessing systems at each facility may be communicatively coupled toone another via the facility's private network. Accordingly,communications directed to controllers 132 a-c and/or other foodprocessing system components via network 104 may be routed throughfirewalls 134 a, 134 b, and 134 c (or “firewalls 134 a-c”),respectively. Firewalls 134 a-c may function to maintain securecommunications between devices external to their respective privatenetworks and controllers 132 a-c or other components of the foodprocessing systems at each facility. Examples of different types ofsecure communication channels that may be used for such communicationsinclude, but are not limited to, a virtual private network (VPN)connection, Secure Shell (SSH) tunnel, or other type of secure networkconnection that has a security layer for preventing unauthorized accessby external devices, e.g., via network 104.

In one or more embodiments, computing system 110 may function as acontrol system for providing automated monitoring and control ofoperational parameters of the various food processing systems located ateach of food processing facilities 130 a-c. Additional details regardingsuch a control system will be described in further detail below withrespect to FIG. 2 .

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary distributed computing system 200including a control system 210 for automated monitoring and control offood processing systems located at a remote food processing facility,e.g., any of food processing facilities 130 a-c of FIG. 1 , as describedabove. As shown in FIG. 2 , control system 210 includes an operationsmanager 220 that is communicatively coupled to one or more ofcontrollers 232 a and 234 a of food processing system (FPS) 230 a via anetwork 204, e.g., network 104 of FIG. 1 , as described above. In one ormore embodiments, each of controllers 232 a and 234 a may be associatedwith a different subsystem of food processing system 230 a.

While not shown in FIG. 2 , it should be appreciated that, like foodprocessing system 230 a, each of food processing systems 230 b and 230 cmay include a plurality of controllers and that operations manager 220may also be communicatively coupled to the controllers of foodprocessing systems 230 b and 230 c via network 204. Also, while onlycontrollers 232 a and 234 a are shown in FIG. 2 , it should also beappreciated that food processing system 230 a (and each of foodprocessing systems 230 b and 230 c) may include any number ofcontrollers as desired for a particular implementation. Further, whileonly food processing systems 230 a-c are shown in FIG. 2 , it should beappreciated that the food processing facility in this example mayinclude any number of food processing systems.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary control system 300 forautomated monitoring and control of one or more food processing systems(e.g., one or more of food processing systems 230 a-c of FIG. 2 , asdescribed above) located at a remote food processing facility. As shownin FIG. 3 , system 300 includes an operations manager 320, a memory 330,a network interface 340, and a graphical user interface (GUI) 350.Operations manager 320 includes an event monitor 322, an operationscontroller 324, a data visualizer 326, and a UI manager 328. It shouldbe appreciated that operations manager 320 and its components (eventmonitor 322, operations controller 324, data visualizer 326, and UImanager 328), memory 330, network interface 340, and GUI 350 may becommunicatively coupled to one another via, for example, an internal busof system 300.

System 300 may be implemented using any type of computing device havingone or more processors, a user input device (e.g., a mouse, QWERTY or T9keyboard, touch-screen, or microphone), and a communicationsinfrastructure capable of receiving and transmitting data over anetwork. Such a computing device may be, for example and withoutlimitation, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tabletcomputer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, acluster of computers, a set-top box, or other similar type of devicecapable of processing instructions and receiving and transmitting datato and from humans and other computing devices. Although only operationsmanager 320, event monitor 322, operations controller 324, datavisualizer 326, and UI manager 328, memory 330, network interface 340,and GUI 350 are shown in FIG. 3 , it should be appreciated that system300 may include additional components and/or sub-components as desiredfor a particular implementation.

It should also be appreciated that operations manager 320 along withevent monitor 322, operations controller 324, data visualizer 326, andUI manager 328 may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, orany combination thereof. Furthermore, embodiments of event monitor 322,operations controller 324, data visualizer 326, and UI manager 328, orportions thereof, may be implemented to run on any type of processingdevice including, but not limited to, a desktop or personal computer,workstation, embedded system, networked device, mobile device, or anyother type of data processing or computing system capable of carryingout the automated monitoring and control functionality described herein.

Memory 330 may be used to store various types of information accessibleto operations manager 320 for performing the automated monitoring andcontrol techniques disclosed herein. As shown in the example of FIG. 3 ,the information stored in memory 330 may include parameter data 332,event criteria 334, and user data 336, each of which will be describedin further detail below. Memory 330 may be any type of recording mediumcoupled to an integrated circuit that controls access to the recordingmedium. The recording medium can be, for example and without limitation,a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, or other similar type of memory orstorage device. Further, memory 330 may be a memory device integratedwithin system 300 or an external device communicatively coupled tosystem 300 via a wired or wireless network connection. In someimplementations, memory 330 may be a remote data store, e.g., acloud-based storage location, accessible via a network 304 by usingnetwork interface 340. Network 304 may be any type of network orcombination of networks for communicating information between differentcomputing devices. Network 304 may be implemented using, for example,network 104 of FIG. 1 , as described above.

In one or more embodiments, event monitor 322 may receive data from oneor more controllers of a food processing system via network 304 duringoperation of the food processing system at a remote food processingfacility. The received data may include, for example, informationrelating to one or more operating parameters of the food processingsystem, which may be stored in memory 330 as parameter data 332. Suchinformation may have been acquired by, for example, one or more sensorsor other measurement devices that are disposed within a subsystem of thefood processing system and operatively coupled to a controllerassociated with the particular subsystem.

Event monitor 322 may use the stored parameter data 332 from memory 330or the data received directly from the controller(s) of the foodprocessing system to monitor values of one or more of the system'soperating parameters. Event monitor 322 may use the monitored values ofthe one or more operating parameters to detect the occurrence of atleast one event of interest during the operation of the food processingsystem. In one or more embodiments, the occurrence of an event ofinterest may be detected by event monitor 322 based on predefinedcriteria for the particular event with respect to a value of at leastone operating parameter during the operation of the food processingsystem. For example, the event detection performed by event monitor 322may include determining whether monitored values of the operatingparameter meet the predefined criteria associated with the particularevent of interest at any point during the system's operation or duringsome predetermined or user-specified time period therein. The predefinedcriteria for this particular event may be, for example, a predefinedrange of values for a specified operating parameter. Accordingly, theoccurrence of the event may be triggered when the monitored values ofthe operating parameter are determined to fall within the predefinedrange during the relevant time period. The predefined criteria for eachof a plurality of events of interest may be stored in memory 330 asevent criteria 334.

In one or more embodiments, operations controller 324 may transmitcontrol signals for adjusting a configuration of a food processingsystem based on the detected event. The control signals may be sent vianetwork 304 to the one or more controllers of the food processingsystem. In some implementations, the control signals may be sent byoperations controller 324 only after receiving a command for adjustingthe configuration of the food processing system from a user associatedwith the food processing system. For example, the command may be basedon interactions by a user 305 of control system 300 for controlling theconfiguration of the food processing system via GUI 350. Further, thecommand may be in response to a notification of the event of interestdisplayed by UI manager 328 within GUI 350.

Alternatively, the command may be received from a computing device(e.g., any of user devices 120 a-c of FIG. 1 , as described above) ofanother remote user associated with the food processing system. In oneor more embodiments, UI manager 328 may use network interface 340 tosend a notification of the detected event to the remote user's computingdevice via network 304. The notification may be displayed via, forexample, a GUI of a client application executable at the user'scomputing device. In response to the notification, the remote user mayinteract with the GUI of the client application for controlling theconfiguration of the food processing system.

In an embodiment, the relevant parameters and criteria for an event ofinterest to be detected by event monitor 322 may be specified by user305 via GUI 350 (or by an authorized remote user associated with thefood processing system as described above). For example, user 305 mayselect the parameters for the event from a list of available operatingparameters provided via an options menu of GUI 350, e.g., as shown inFIG. 9 and described in further detail below. Once a set of parametershas been selected for the event of interest, user 305 may specify thecriteria for each parameter using additional UI controls presentedwithin GUI 350. For example, user 305 may interact with GUI 350 tospecify a range of desired parameter values representing normaloperation or minimum and maximum values defining the boundaries orlimits for such a range. In one or more embodiments, GUI 350 may includea dashboard view or window for facilitating such user interactions. Anexample of such a GUI will be described below in reference to FIGS. 4-9. FIGS. 4-9 may illustrate, for example, different views of a GUI for anapplication program executable at a user's computing device forreal-time monitoring and control of remote food processing systems.While the examples in FIGS. 4-9 are described in the context offacilitating user interactions and access to various remote monitoringand control functions, it should be appreciated that the capabilities ofsuch an application program and/or control system at which such aprogram is executed include automated monitoring and control of foodprocessing systems at one or more remote food processing facilities.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of such a dashboard view 400 for anexemplary GUI of a control system for automated monitoring and controlof remote food processing systems. As shown in FIG. 4 , dashboard view400 includes an interactive workspace area 410 for displaying relevantcontent and enabling user interactions related to the monitoring andcontrol functionality described herein. Dashboard view 400 may alsoinclude a plurality of user controls 420 for invoking various monitoringand control related functions provided to the user. For example, amonitoring control 422 may be provided to the user for invoking variousperformance monitoring functions related to all connected equipment andsensors for the food processing systems and associated subsystemslocated at a particular food processing facility. Such functions mayinclude, for example, viewing different types of visualizations ofreal-time performance data obtained from various data sources associatedwith one or more of the facility's food processing systems.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a monitor view 500 of the GUI that may beused to select particular food processing systems and subsystems thereoffor performance monitoring purposes. Monitor view 500 may be displayedas a separate window or within workspace area 410 of the GUI as shown inFIG. 4 , e.g., in response to the user's selection of control 422. Asshown in FIG. 5 , the GUI may include a system selection area 510 forselecting particular food processing systems and subsystems as desired.As will be described in further detail below, a content area 520 of theGUI may be used to display different types of information relating tothe real-time operating conditions and performance of the selected foodprocessing systems and subsystems in this example during a specifiedtime period.

The food processing systems and subsystems in the example shown in FIG.5 may be associated with a poultry processing plant. However, it shouldbe appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are notintended to be limited thereto and that the disclosed embodiments may beapplied to any of various types of processing facilities and systemsthereof. For example, the disclosed embodiments may be applied toprocessing systems for processing a wide variety of “work pieces”including, but not limited to, meat, poultry, fish, fresh and salt waterseafood, fruits, vegetables, other foodstuffs, animals, food packaging,items and surfaces related to food or food processing, or anycombination of the preceding. The work pieces processed by such systemsmay be live, dead, raw, hide-on, carcass, pieces, cooked, prepared,processed, partially processed, ready to eat, ready to cook, or anycombination of the preceding. Furthermore, in some implementations, suchsystems may be used to treat work pieces completely unrelated to food orfood processing items.

As shown in system selection area 510, the systems of the poultryprocessing plant in this example may include, but are not limited to, anevisceration system 512, a chiller system 514, and a system 516 forfurther processing. As will be described in further detail below, eachof these systems may include various subsystems for performing one ormore stages of a poultry treatment process for washing anddecontaminating raw poultry carcasses prior to packaging and storage forcommercial distribution. For purposes of this example, it will beassumed that the poultry carcasses have already been defeathered andthat any stages of the poultry treatment process prior to defeatheringhave already been performed. In one or more embodiments, eviscerationsystem 512, chiller system 514, and system 516 may correspond todifferent zones or areas of the poultry processing plant. Accordingly,the respective subsystems of each system may be various systems locatedwithin the corresponding zone of the poultry processing plant, whichhave been designated to perform one or more particular stages of thepoultry treatment process. It should be appreciated that the assignmentor designation of processing systems to zones may vary from oneprocessing facility to another, e.g., depending on the particulartreatment process associated with each processing facility.

In one or more embodiments, evisceration system 512 may includedifferent antimicrobial subsystems for treating the poultry carcasseswith an antimicrobial composition during washing stages before and afterevisceration, e.g., during a post-feather pick (or “New York dress”)wash (also referred to herein as a “New York Bird Wash” or “NYBW”)before evisceration and during on-line reprocessing (OLR) afterevisceration. During each washing stage, the appropriate antimicrobialsubsystem of evisceration system 512 may be used to apply theantimicrobial composition to the poultry carcasses in any number ofdifferent ways. Examples of different ways in which the antimicrobialcomposition may be applied include, but are not limited to, spraying,misting, fogging, immersing, pouring, dripping, any other method ofapplication, or any combination of the preceding. The antimicrobialcomposition that is applied may include any type of antimicrobial fortreating work pieces (e.g., poultry carcasses). Examples of such anantimicrobial include, but are not limited to, peracetic acid (or“PAA”), a quaternary ammonium compound, an alkylpyridinium chloride,cetylpyridinium chloride, any other suitable antimicrobial, or anycombination of the preceding.

Accordingly, the antimicrobial subsystems of evisceration system 512 mayinclude, for example, a NYBW spray washer for applying PAA todefeathered poultry carcasses before evisceration and an OLR spraywasher for applying PAA to the poultry after evisceration. It should beappreciated that the poultry treatment process may include any number ofadditional washing steps, which may be performed by other systems orsubsystems of the poultry processing plant in this example. An exampleof such an additional washing stage may include, but is not limited to,an inside-outside washing stage performed by an inside-outside birdwasher.

Following evisceration, the poultry carcasses may move along theconveyor line to chiller system 514. In one or more embodiments, chillersystem 514 may include different types of chillers for different stagesof a chilling process and different types of antimicrobial compositions.As shown in the example of FIG. 5 , chiller system 514 may includevarious types of pre-chillers and primary chillers for both PAA andcaustic chemical compounds along with a finishing chiller. Each chillermay include various sensors for monitoring temperatures during eachstage of the chilling process, e.g., to ensure that temperatures remainwithin a specified range for that particular stage.

After chilling, the poultry may be subjected to further processingincluding, but not limited to, portioning, deboning, weighing, andquality grading. System 516 of the poultry processing plant in thisexample may be used to perform additional washing stages for applyingantimicrobial compositions to the poultry during any of these furtherprocessing steps of the poultry treatment process. Like eviscerationsystem 512 described above, system 516 may include various antimicrobialsubsystems for applying the antimicrobial compositions to the poultryafter chilling. For example, system 516 may include a parts spray washerfor applying PAA to poultry parts and various dip tanks for submergingthe poultry within PAA and other types of antimicrobial compositions,e.g., any of various GRAS (generally recognized as safe) acid solutions.

In one or more embodiments, each of the antimicrobial subsystems ofevisceration system 512 and system 516 may include an antimicrobialapplication system, an antimicrobial recycle system, and anantimicrobial capture system. The antimicrobial application system mayinclude a housing through which raw poultry or other types of workpieces may be moved along a conveyor line. The housing may include aspray washer for applying the antimicrobial composition to the workpieces as they move along the conveyor line. A drip tray or panextending downstream of the housing may be disposed below the conveyorand the work pieces. A rigid member, such as stainless steel tubing, maybe affixed to the housing. The rigid member may have parallel arms thatare aligned on opposite sides of the conveyor line. A series of matchingopenings may be provided in each arm for housing counters or sensors forautomatically detecting the presence of individual work pieces duringprocessing and counting the total number of work pieces processed overtime. For example, a total count of the work pieces processed over aperiod of time may be used to assess a current workload of the systemand make any appropriate operational adjustments that may be needed tohandle that workload.

In one or more embodiments, the antimicrobial recycle system may becoupled to the antimicrobial application system. The antimicrobialrecycle system may be configured to produce the antimicrobialcomposition at a predetermined concentration and supply theantimicrobial composition to the antimicrobial application system. Theantimicrobial recycle system may be further configured to receive unusedportions of the antimicrobial composition, recycle the unused portionsof the antimicrobial composition, and re-supply the recycledantimicrobial composition to the antimicrobial application system. Insome implementations, the antimicrobial recycle system may produce theantimicrobial composition by diluting a concentrated antimicrobialcomposition (or solution) using, for example, water (or any othersolubility enhancing agents) to obtain a dilute antimicrobialcomposition with a particular concentration (e.g., within apredetermined concentration range), and may further provide the diluteantimicrobial composition to the antimicrobial application systemdescribed above.

In one or more embodiments, the antimicrobial capture system may beconfigured to receive discarded portions of the antimicrobialcomposition from the antimicrobial application system or theantimicrobial recycle system during processing. The antimicrobialcapture system may include a container filled with carbon granulessubmerged in water or other liquid for removing antimicrobials fromdiscarded portions of the antimicrobial composition applied to workpieces (e.g., poultry carcasses) by the antimicrobial applicationsystem.

In one or more embodiments, each of systems 512 and 516 may also includea water monitoring system for monitoring water usage during differentstages of the poultry treatment process described herein. In someimplementations, the water monitoring system may be used to monitor adilution ratio of the antimicrobial composition to water during thepoultry treatment process. For example, the water monitoring system mayinclude a water meter coupled to the antimicrobial recycle system or acontroller thereof to monitor the dilution ratio of the antimicrobialcomposition produced by the antimicrobial recycle system. If necessary,adjustments to the water flow and/or antimicrobial concentration may bemade to achieve a desired dilution ratio or ensure that the dilutionratio stays within a desired range, e.g., less than or equal toapproximately 1 part dilute composition to 1 part water, less than orequal to approximately 1 part dilute composition to 30 parts water, lessthan or equal to approximately 1 part dilute composition to 60 partswater, or any other dilution ratio.

In one or more embodiments, systems 512, 514, and 516 and the respectiveantimicrobial subsystems thereof may include various sensors formeasuring different operating parameters for each system or subsystemthereof. Such operating parameters may relate to, for example, theantimicrobial composition being applied to the work pieces (e.g., rawpoultry) at each processing stage (e.g., each stage of the poultrytreatment process described above). Examples of such conditions orparameters include, but are not limited to, an antimicrobialconcentration, an application frequency, an application pressure, a pH,and a temperature of the antimicrobial composition that is applied overa period of time. Any of various types of sensors may be used. Examplesof such sensors include, but are not limited to, infrared, visiblelight, or ultraviolet (UV) sensors. Examples of such UV sensors include,but are not limited to, a UV light spectrophotometer or UV spec sensor.

Accordingly, each antimicrobial subsystem may include sensors formeasuring the concentration of antimicrobials within the antimicrobialcomposition that is applied over the period of time, the frequency andpressure at which the composition is applied, and the pH and temperatureof the antimicrobial composition during this period of time. It shouldbe appreciated that in addition to sensors for measuring pH andtemperature, sensors for measuring any of various other properties ofthe antimicrobial composition may also be used as desired for aparticular implementation.

In one or more embodiments, the measurements collected by the sensorsmay be used to monitor the operating conditions of each system orsubsystem at each stage of the antimicrobial treatment or poultrytreatment process in this example. Such sensors may be communicativelycoupled to a control unit or controller (e.g., controller 232 a or 232 bof FIG. 2 , as described above) of a corresponding system or subsystemthereof. The sensors may be configured to provide the collectedmeasurements, e.g., in the form of data signals, to the controller. Thecontroller may then transmit the signals to a remote monitoring andcontrol system (e.g., control system 210 of FIG. 2 , as described above)for monitoring and control of system operations via a communicationnetwork (e.g., network 204 of FIG. 2 , as described above).Alternatively, the sensors and/or subsystems of each system may beconfigured to send the collected measurements or data signals directlyto the remote monitoring and control system via the communicationnetwork.

In one or more embodiments, the remote monitoring and control system maybe configured to process the data signals received from the controllersor sensors of the various systems of the food processing facility (e.g.,poultry processing plant) at each stage of the antimicrobial treatment.The remote system may use the received signals to monitor one or moreoperating parameters of interest for a particular system or subsystemthereof and make any necessary adjustments to the configuration of thesystem/subsystem based on the monitoring, e.g., to ensure that theoperating parameter(s) stay within a specified or desired range duringthe treatment. For example, the remote system may make such adjustmentsby sending control signals via the communication network to a controllerof the subsystem or system. The control signals may include commands orinstructions for the controller to activate, deactivate, or modulatesystem pumps, valves, or other system components, e.g., in order toregulate the antimicrobial concentration, application frequency,pressure, pH, and/or temperature of the antimicrobial compositionapplied at each stage of the treatment. In this way, the data andcontrol signals exchanged between the remote system and thesystems/subsystems of the food processing facility (or poultryprocessing plan in this example) via the communication network enablesthe automated monitoring and control of system operations over thecourse of the treatment.

In addition to the automated monitoring and control functions describedabove, the disclosed techniques may be used to provide various functionsto the user via selectable UI controls (e.g., tab controls) within a tabcontrol area 502 of the GUI in this example. Tab control area 502 mayallow the user to select between different tabs for monitoring operatingconditions of one or more selected systems (e.g., via a “Monitor” tab),viewing statistics or metrics related to system performance andoperating conditions (e.g., via a “Stats” tab), and viewing a log ofvarious events of interest that may have occurred over a specified timeperiod during the operation of each system (e.g., via an “Event Log”tab). In response to the user's selection of a particular tab, theinformation displayed within content area 520 may be updatedaccordingly. For example, in response to the user's selection of theMonitor tab control within tab control area 502, content area 520 maydisplay a listing of the selected food processing systems and subsystemsalong with data for monitoring the operating conditions or parameters ofeach system/subsystem. As shown in FIG. 5 , such data may includereal-time operational data relating to water usage as well as the flow,concentration, and pH of the antimicrobial compositions used in eachsystem/subsystem.

In one or more embodiments, content area 520 of the GUI may be updatedto display a visualization of performance metrics in response to theuser's selection of the Stats tab control within tab control area 502.Referring back to FIG. 3 , data visualizer 326 of control system 300 maybe used to calculate such performance metrics based on values of one ormore operating parameters monitored by event monitor 322 during theoperation of the selected food processing system. Data visualizer 326may also generate a visualization of the performance metrics. Thegenerated visualization may be displayed via, for example, dashboardview 400 of the GUI, as shown in FIG. 4 . Examples of different types ofvisualizations that may be generated and displayed via the GUI includepie charts (as shown in FIG. 6 ) and line graphs (as shown in FIG. 7 ).

In one or more embodiments, content area 520 may be updated to displayan event log, as shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 shows a view 800 of the GUIwith an example of the event log for monitoring different events ofinterest during a period of operation of the food processing systems andsubsystems selected by the user in this example. The particular eventsof interest that appear within the event log may be based on, forexample, one or more parameters specified by the user for each event.Such parameters may be selected by the user from a list of availableoperating parameters for a particular food processing system. The userin this example may also specify criteria, e.g., a value or range ofvalues for each of the parameter(s), which must be met in order for thecorresponding event to be detected or triggered, as described above. Inthis way, the user may use the GUI to create a list of predefinedevents. In one or more embodiments, the user may also use the GUI tocontrol settings for receiving notifications or alerts of particularevents of interest that occur during the operation of the foodprocessing system. For example, the particular events of interest may beselected from a list of predefined events provided to the user.

Such a list may be provided via an options menu or a settings panel ofthe GUI, as shown in FIG. 9 . As shown in FIG. 9 , a notificationsettings panel 900 of the GUI includes a list 910 of various foodprocessing systems of a food processing facility that may be selected bythe user along with a list 920 of various events for which differenttypes of notifications or alerts may be selected by the user formonitoring the operations of a particular system.

FIG. 10 is a process flowchart of a method 1000 for automated monitoringand control of remote food processing systems. For purposes ofdiscussion, method 1000 will be described with reference to controlsystem 300 of FIG. 3 , as described above. However, method 1000 is notintended to be limited thereto.

Method 1000 begins in step 1002, which includes receiving data from oneor more controllers of a food processing system via a communicationnetwork. The data may be received from the controller(s) duringoperation of the food processing system at a remote food processingfacility. As described above, the food processing system may be one of aplurality of food processing systems located at the remote foodprocessing facility. An example of such a food processing facility is apoultry processing facility. The plurality of food processing systems inthis example may include, but are not limited to, an eviscerationsystem, a chiller system, an antimicrobial application system, anantimicrobial recycle system, and an antimicrobial capture system.

In step 1004, values of one or more operating parameters of the foodprocessing system are monitored, based on the data received in step1002.

Method 1000 then proceeds to steps 1006 and 1008, which includedetermining or detecting whether any events of interest occur during theoperation of the food processing system. As described above, this mayinclude determining whether monitored values of the operating parametermeet predefined criteria associated with at least one event of interestduring the operation of the food processing system. In one or moreembodiments, the occurrence of an event of interest is detected based onpredefined criteria for the particular event of interest with respect toa value of at least one operating parameter during the operation of thefood processing system.

If at least one event of interest occurring during the operation of thefood processing system is detected (step 1008), method 1000 proceeds tostep 1010. Otherwise, method 1000 returns to step 1004, in which thevalues of one or more operating parameters of the food processing systemare monitored based on the data received (step 1002) from the one ormore controllers of the food processing system.

In step 1010, control signals for adjusting a configuration of the foodprocessing system are transmitted to the one or more controllers via thecommunication network, based on the detected event.

As shown in FIG. 10 , method 1000 may also include an optional step1012, in which a notification of the detected event is sent to acomputing device (e.g., a mobile device) of a user associated with thefood processing system. In one or more embodiments, the notification maybe sent to the user's computing device for display via a graphical userinterface (GUI) of a client application executable at the user'scomputing device. The user may interact with the GUI for purposes ofcontrolling the configuration of the food processing system, e.g., byselecting appropriate commands via the GUI. Thus, in someimplementations, the transmission of control signals in step 1010 may beperformed only after the notification to the user's device has been sentin step 1012 and the appropriate commands have been received from theuser's device in response to the notification.

In one or more embodiments, the one or more operating parametersmonitored in step 1004 may be selected by the user from a list ofavailable operating parameters provided via an options menu of the GUIof the client application executable at the user's computing device. Asdescribed above and shown in FIG. 5 , the GUI may include a dashboardview for presenting information related to the operation of the foodprocessing system over a specified time period.

In one or more embodiments, the event of interest that may be detectedin step 1008 is one of a plurality of events specified by the user via acontrol panel of the GUI. The event of interest may be displayed for theuser via the GUI, e.g., as part of an event log displayed within thedashboard view of the GUI. An example of such an event log is shown inFIG. 8 . In addition to displaying specified events of interest, the GUIof the application executable at the user's device may be used topresent performance metrics related to the operation of the foodprocessing system for the specified time period. The performance metricsmay be calculated based on the monitored values of the one or moreoperating parameters from step 1004. In one or more embodiments, avisualization of the performance metrics may be generated for display atthe user's computing device via the dashboard view of the GUI.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 1100 in whichembodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. For example,the steps of method 1000 of FIG. 10 , as described above, may beimplemented using system 1100. System 1100 can be a computer, phone,PDA, or any other type of electronic device. Such an electronic deviceincludes various types of computer readable media and interfaces forvarious other types of computer readable media. As shown in FIG. 11 ,system 1100 includes a permanent storage device 1102, a system memory1104, an output device interface 1106, a system communications bus 1108,a read-only memory (ROM) 1110, processing unit(s) 1112, an input deviceinterface 1114, and a network interface 1116.

Bus 1108 collectively represents all system, peripheral, and chipsetbuses that communicatively connect the numerous internal devices ofsystem 1100. For instance, bus 1108 communicatively connects processingunit(s) 1112 with ROM 1110, system memory 1104, and permanent storagedevice 1102.

From these various memory units, processing unit(s) 1112 retrievesinstructions to execute and data to process in order to execute theprocesses of the subject disclosure. The processing unit(s) can be asingle processor or a multi-core processor in different implementations.

ROM 1110 stores static data and instructions that are needed byprocessing unit(s) 1112 and other modules of system 1100. Permanentstorage device 1102, on the other hand, is a read-and-write memorydevice. This device is a non-volatile memory unit that storesinstructions and data even when system 1100 is off. Some implementationsof the subject disclosure use a mass-storage device (such as a magneticor optical disk and its corresponding disk drive) as permanent storagedevice 1102.

Other implementations use a removable storage device (such as a floppydisk, flash drive, and its corresponding disk drive) as permanentstorage device 1102. Like permanent storage device 1102, system memory1104 is a read-and-write memory device. However, unlike storage device1102, system memory 1104 is a volatile read-and-write memory, such asrandom access memory. System memory 1104 stores some of the instructionsand data that the processor needs at runtime. In some implementations,the processes of the subject disclosure are stored in system memory1104, permanent storage device 1102, and/or ROM 1110. For example, thevarious memory units include instructions for performing the steps ofmethod 1000 of FIG. 10 , as described above. From these various memoryunits, processing unit(s) 1112 retrieves instructions to execute anddata to process in order to execute the processes of someimplementations.

Bus 1108 also connects to input and output device interfaces 1114 and1106. Input device interface 1114 enables the user to communicateinformation and select commands to the system 1100. Input devices usedwith input device interface 1114 include, for example, alphanumeric,QWERTY, or T9 keyboards, microphones, and pointing devices (also called“cursor control devices”). Output device interface 1106 enables, forexample, the display of images generated by the system 1100. Outputdevices used with output device interface 1106 include, for example,printers and display devices, such as cathode ray tubes (CRT) or liquidcrystal displays (LCD). Some implementations include devices such as atouchscreen that functions as both an input and output device. It shouldbe appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure may beimplemented using a computer including any of various types of input andoutput devices for enabling interaction with a user. Such interactionmay include feedback to or from the user in different forms of sensoryfeedback including, but not limited to, visual feedback, auditoryfeedback, or tactile feedback. Further, input from the user can bereceived in any form including, but not limited to, acoustic, speech, ortactile input. Additionally, interaction with the user may includetransmitting and receiving different types of information, e.g., in theform of documents, to and from the user via the above-describedinterfaces.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11 , bus 1108 couples system 1100 to a public orprivate network (not shown) or combination of networks through a networkinterface 1116. Such a network may include, for example, a local areanetwork (“LAN”), such as an Intranet, or a wide area network (“WAN”),such as the Internet. Any or all components of system 1100 can be usedin conjunction with the subject disclosure.

These functions described above can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, in computer software, firmware or hardware. The techniquescan be implemented using one or more computer program products.Programmable processors and computers can be included in or packaged asmobile devices. The processes and logic flows can be performed by one ormore programmable processors and by one or more programmable logiccircuitry. General and special purpose computing devices and storagedevices can be interconnected through communication networks.

Some implementations include electronic components, such asmicroprocessors, storage and memory that store computer programinstructions in a machine-readable or computer-readable medium(alternatively referred to as computer-readable storage media,machine-readable media, or machine-readable storage media). Someexamples of such computer-readable media include RAM, ROM, read-onlycompact discs (CD-ROM), recordable compact discs (CD-R), rewritablecompact discs (CD-RW), read-only digital versatile discs (e.g., DVD-ROM,dual-layer DVD-ROM), a variety of recordable/rewritable DVDs (e.g.,DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.), flash memory (e.g., SD cards, mini-SDcards, micro-SD cards, etc.), magnetic and/or solid state hard drives,read-only and recordable Blu-Ray® discs, ultra density optical discs,any other optical or magnetic media, and floppy disks. Thecomputer-readable media can store a computer program that is executableby at least one processing unit and includes sets of instructions forperforming various operations. Examples of computer programs or computercode include machine code, such as is produced by a compiler, and filesincluding higher-level code that are executed by a computer, anelectronic component, or a microprocessor using an interpreter.

While the above discussion primarily refers to microprocessor ormulti-core processors that execute software, some implementations areperformed by one or more integrated circuits, such as applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs). In some implementations, such integrated circuits executeinstructions that are stored on the circuit itself. Accordingly, thesteps of method 1000 of FIG. 10 , as described above, may be implementedusing system 1100 or any computer system having processing circuitry ora computer program product including instructions stored therein, which,when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to performfunctions relating to these methods.

As used in this specification and any claims of this application, theterms “computer”, “server”, “processor”, and “memory” all refer toelectronic or other technological devices. These terms exclude people orgroups of people. As used herein, the terms “computer readable medium”and “computer readable media” refer generally to tangible, physical, andnon-transitory electronic storage mediums that store information in aform that is readable by a computer.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented in a computing system that includes a back end component,e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g.,an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., aclient computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browserthrough which a user can interact with an implementation of the subjectmatter described in this specification, or any combination of one ormore such back end, middleware, or front end components. The componentsof the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digitaldata communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples ofcommunication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a widearea network (“WAN”), an inter-network (e.g., the Internet), andpeer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someembodiments, a server transmits data (e.g., a web page) to a clientdevice (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving userinput from a user interacting with the client device). Data generated atthe client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can bereceived from the client device at the server.

It is understood that any specific order or hierarchy of steps in theprocesses disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Basedupon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order orhierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged, or that allillustrated steps be performed. Some of the steps may be performedsimultaneously. For example, in certain circumstances, multitasking andparallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation ofvarious system components in the embodiments described above should notbe understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and itshould be understood that the described program components and systemscan generally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

Furthermore, the exemplary methodologies described herein may beimplemented by a system including processing circuitry or a computerprogram product including instructions which, when executed by at leastone processor, causes the processor to perform any of the methodologydescribed herein.

While specific details about the above embodiments have been described,the above hardware and software descriptions are intended merely asexample embodiments and are not intended to limit the structure orimplementation of the disclosed embodiments. For instance, although manyother internal components of the system 1100 are not shown, those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such components and theirinterconnection are well known.

In addition, certain aspects of the disclosed embodiments, as outlinedabove, may be embodied in software that is executed using one or moreprocessing units/components. Program aspects of the technology may bethought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in theform of executable code and/or associated data that is carried on orembodied in a type of machine readable medium. Tangible non-transitory“storage” type media include any or all of the memory or other storagefor the computers, processors or the like, or associated modulesthereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, diskdrives, optical or magnetic disks, and the like, which may providestorage at any time for the software programming.

Additionally, the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustratethe architecture, functionality, and operation of possibleimplementations of systems, methods and computer program productsaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure. It shouldalso be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functionsnoted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. Forexample, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executedsubstantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed inthe reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It willalso be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/orflowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purposehardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, orcombinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The above specific example embodiments are not intended to limit thescope of the claims. The example embodiments may be modified byincluding, excluding, or combining one or more features or functionsdescribed in the disclosure.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification and/or the claims,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The correspondingstructures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plusfunction elements in the claims below are intended to include anystructure, material, or act for performing the function in combinationwith other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description ofthe present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustrationand description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to theembodiments in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variationswill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The illustrativeembodiments described herein are provided to explain the principles ofthe disclosure and the practical application thereof, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand that the disclosedembodiments may be modified as desired for a particular implementationor use. The scope of the claims is intended to broadly cover thedisclosed embodiments and any such modification.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, via acommunication network, data from one or more controllers of each foodprocessing system of a remote food processing facility, wherein foodprocessing systems of the remote food processing facility include aplurality of poultry processing systems corresponding to differentstages of a poultry treatment process; monitoring values of one or moreoperating parameters for each poultry processing system as the poultryis processed by that poultry processing system over one or more stagesof the poultry treatment process, based on the received data, whereinthe one or more operating parameters include a dilution ratiorepresenting a concentration of antimicrobials relative to water withinan antimicrobial composition applied to the poultry carcasses by acorresponding antimicrobial subsystem of the poultry processing systemat each of the one or more stages of the poultry treatment process;detecting at least one event of interest for at least one poultryprocessing system of the remote food processing facility during at leastone stage of the poultry treatment process, based on the monitoredvalues of the one or more operating parameters; transmitting, via thecommunication network to the corresponding one or more controllers ofthe at least one poultry processing system at the remote food processingfacility, control signals for adjusting a configuration of the at leastone poultry processing system based on the detected event of interest,wherein the control signals include signals for making appropriateadjustments to the concentration of antimicrobials relative to waterwithin the antimicrobial composition applied during the at least onestage of the poultry treatment process by the correspondingantimicrobial subsystem of the at least one poultry processing systemsuch that the dilution ratio stays within a predetermined range for theat least one stage of the poultry treatment process; sending, via thecommunication network to a computing device of a user associated withthe at least one poultry processing system, a notification of thedetected event of interest; wherein the notification is sent to theuser's computing device for display via a graphical user interface (GUI)of a client application executable at the user's computing device, andthe GUI includes user interface controls for the user to adjust theconfiguration of the at least one poultry processing system; and whereinthe one or more operating parameters are selected by the user from alist of available operating parameters provided via an options menu ofthe GUI of the client application executable at the user's computingdevice, and the GUI includes a dashboard view for presenting informationrelated to the operation of the food processing system over a specifiedtime period.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of theevent of interest is detected based on predefined criteria for theparticular event of interest with respect to a value of at least oneoperating parameter during the operation of the food processing system.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signals are transmitted tothe one or more controllers of the at least one poultry processingsystem in response to receiving a command from the user's computingdevice for adjusting the configuration of the at least one poultryprocessing system based on the detected event of interest.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the user's computing device is a mobile device. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the event of interest is one of aplurality of events specified by the user via a control panel of theGUI, and the event of interest is displayed as part of an event logwithin the dashboard view of the GUI.
 6. The method of claim 5, furthercomprising: calculating performance metrics related to the operation ofthe food processing system for the specified time period, based on themonitored values of the one or more operating parameters; and generatinga visualization of the performance metrics to be displayed via thedashboard view of the GUI.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remotefood processing facility is one of a plurality of remote food processingfacilities for which operating parameters of corresponding foodprocessing systems are monitored.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein theremote food processing facility is a poultry processing facility, theplurality of poultry processing systems correspond to different zones ofthe poultry processing facility, the plurality of poultry processingsystems include at least one of an evisceration system or a chillersystem, and each antimicrobial subsystem of the respective poultryprocessing systems is at least one of an antimicrobial applicationsystem, an antimicrobial recycle system, or an antimicrobial capturesystem that is located within a corresponding zone of the poultryprocessing facility at which one or more stages of the poultry treatmentprocess are performed.
 9. A system for monitoring and control of foodprocessing systems, the system comprising: a processor; and a memorycoupled to the processor, the memory including instructions, which, whenexecuted by the processor, cause the processor to perform a plurality offunctions, including functions to: receive, via a communication network,data from one or more controllers of each food processing system of aremote food processing facility, wherein food processing systems of theremote food processing facility include a plurality of poultryprocessing systems corresponding to different stages of a poultrytreatment process; monitor values of one or more operating parametersfor each poultry processing system as the poultry is processed by thatpoultry processing system over one or more stages of the poultrytreatment process, based on the received data, wherein the one or moreoperating parameters include a dilution ratio representing aconcentration of antimicrobials relative to water within anantimicrobial composition applied to the poultry carcasses by acorresponding antimicrobial subsystem of the poultry processing systemat each of the one or more stages of the poultry treatment process;detect at least one event of interest for at least one poultryprocessing system of the remote food processing facility during at leastone stage of the poultry treatment process, based on the monitoredvalues of the one or more operating parameters; and transmit, via thecommunication network to the corresponding one or more controllers ofthe at least one poultry processing system at the remote food processingfacility, control signals for adjusting a configuration of the at leastone poultry processing system based on the detected event of interest,wherein the control signals include signals for making appropriateadjustments to the concentration of antimicrobials relative to waterwithin the antimicrobial composition applied during the at least onestage of the poultry treatment process by the correspondingantimicrobial subsystem of the at least one poultry processing systemsuch that the dilution ratio stays within a predetermined range for theat least one stage of the poultry treatment process; wherein: thefunctions performed by the processor further include functions to send anotification of the detected event to a computing device of a userassociated with the at least one poultry processing system; thenotification is sent to the user's computing device for display via agraphical user interface (GUI) of a client application executable at theuser's computing device; the GUI includes user interface controls forthe user to adjust the configuration of the at least one poultryprocessing system; and the control signals are transmitted to the one ormore controllers of the at least one poultry processing system inresponse to receiving a command from the user's computing device foradjusting the configuration of the at least one poultry processingsystem based on the detected event of interest the one or more operatingparameters are selected by the user from a list of available operatingparameters provided via an options menu of the GUI of the clientapplication executable at the user's computing device, the GUI includesa dashboard view for presenting information related to the operation ofthe food processing system over a specified time period, and the eventof interest is one of a plurality of events specified by the user via acontrol panel of the GUI, and the event of interest is displayed as partof an event log within the dashboard view of the GUI.
 10. The system ofclaim 9, wherein the occurrence of the event of interest is detectedbased on predefined criteria for the particular event of interest withrespect to a value of at least one operating parameter during theoperation of the food processing system.
 11. The system of claim 9,wherein the functions performed by the processor further includefunctions to: calculate performance metrics related to the operation ofthe food processing system for the specified time period, based on themonitored values of the one or more operating parameters; and generate avisualization of the performance metrics to be displayed via thedashboard view of the GUI.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the remotefood processing facility is one of a plurality of remote food processingfacilities for which operating parameters of corresponding foodprocessing systems are monitored.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein theremote food processing facility is a poultry processing facility, theplurality of poultry processing systems correspond to different zones ofthe poultry processing facility, the plurality of poultry processingsystems include at least one of an evisceration system or a chillersystem, and each antimicrobial subsystem of the respective poultryprocessing systems is at least one of an antimicrobial applicationsystem, an antimicrobial recycle system, or an antimicrobial capturesystem that is located within a corresponding zone of the poultryprocessing facility at which one or more stages of the poultry treatmentprocess are performed.
 14. A non-transitory computer-readable mediumhaving instructions stored therein, which, when executed by a processor,cause the processor to perform a plurality of functions, includingfunctions to: receive, via a communication network, data from one ormore controllers of each food processing system of a remote foodprocessing facility, wherein food processing systems of the remote foodprocessing facility include a plurality of poultry processing systemscorresponding to different stages of a poultry treatment process;monitor values of one or more operating parameters for each poultryprocessing system as the poultry is processed by that poultry processingsystem over one or more stages of the poultry treatment process, basedon the received data, wherein the one or more operating parametersinclude a dilution ratio representing a concentration of antimicrobialsrelative to water within an antimicrobial composition applied to thepoultry carcasses by a corresponding antimicrobial subsystem of thepoultry processing system at each of the one or more stages of thepoultry treatment process; detect at least one event of interest for atleast one poultry processing system of the remote food processingfacility during at least one stage of the poultry treatment process,based on the monitored values of the one or more operating parameters;and transmit, via the communication network to the corresponding one ormore controllers of the at least one poultry processing system at theremote food processing facility, control signals for adjusting aconfiguration of the at least one poultry processing system based on thedetected event of interest, wherein the control signals include signalsfor making appropriate adjustments to the concentration ofantimicrobials relative to water within the antimicrobial compositionapplied during the at least one stage of the poultry treatment processby the corresponding antimicrobial subsystem of the at least one poultryprocessing system such that the dilution ratio stays within apredetermined range for the at least one stage of the poultry treatmentprocess; wherein: the functions performed by the processor furtherinclude functions to send a notification of the detected event to acomputing device of a user associated with the at least one poultryprocessing system; the notification is sent to the user's computingdevice for display via a graphical user interface (GUI) of a clientapplication executable at the user's computing device; the GUI includesuser interface controls for the user to adjust the configuration of theat least one poultry processing system; and the control signals aretransmitted to the one or more controllers of the at least one poultryprocessing system in response to receiving a command from the user'scomputing device for adjusting the configuration of the at least onepoultry processing system based on the detected event of interest theone or more operating parameters are selected by the user from a list ofavailable operating parameters provided via an options menu of the GUIof the client application executable at the user's computing device, theGUI includes a dashboard view for presenting information related to theoperation of the food processing system over a specified time period,and the event of interest is one of a plurality of events specified bythe user via a control panel of the GUI, and the event of interest isdisplayed as part of an event log within the dashboard view of the GUI.